Once you have unlocked all Gods, you may encounter the Crusader in a subdungeon. You must reach {{Piety|100}} with any deity in order to gain his trust, at which point you will unlock the class.

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''Travelworn and world-weary. Crusaders take up arms for just about any cause going. Their mercurial devotion grants them bursts of fervor in battle. They tend to answer complicated theological questions with steel - usually when asked exactly what it is they believe in.''

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== Class Features ==

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While not apparent at first glance, the class features of the crusader allow him to be played in more ways than probably any other class. Learning to properly use all the gods, as well as getting comfortable with desecrating their altars at the right time allows you to unlock the full potential of the Crusader.

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{{a|SCARS}} means you are resistant to most effects which hinder regen fighters, which makes you excellent at stacking damage resistances, even though you don't start with any. It also makes you effectively immune to most of the maluses that {{i|Patches the Teddy}} can inflict upon the player, meaning you should probably be prepping it on any Crusader run (as it can also get you some resistances, but also all sorts of other benefits).

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While resistance stacking is certainly strong, even a spellcaster crusader can benefit from the potential mana increases Patches offers. At very minimum, the ability to use Patches freely is very effective.

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{{a|MOMENTUM}} ability can be leveraged in two ways - by getting your attack very high (in combination with the highest base damage possible), to take down the boss in as few hits as possible. This is actually rather difficult to leverage, and while workable is probably the worst way to play crusader. It is occasionally the way to go - when you're facing a high damage but low health boss like Bleaty, Aequitas, and such, or when you can only get a very, very few strikes in on a boss.

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The best way to leverage it is to conserve popcorn (low level mosters) as much as possible during leveling. To make the most out of them, when you're ready to fight the last boss, kill the popcorns just before a level-up. Because each popcorn can offer a bonus damage at maximum (15% + 7.5% + 3.75% + ...), this makes you use the damage bonus earlier which is generally better. Then level-up when you cannot tank a hit and repeat the process. This is the most optimal way to play the momentum-spike crusader, and it makes him one of the highest damage classess in the game. If you can level-up in the process, it's better to kill higher level popcorns first, because momentum will bring a bigger damage when you are at a higher level. Make sure you leave some popcorns when you should tackle another boss.

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However, this can be dangerous if you lose a momemtum by accident, such as using {{s|BURNDAYRAZ}} or hitting a non-XP monster. If you are using a {{i|Quicksilver Potion}}, it can be hard to get a confirmed dodge if you have already consumed all {{t|First Strike}} monsters. Instead of killing popcorns all the way along, you can alternatively start fighting the boss with killing 4 little guys for +60% damage, which is a lot and practically unparallel. You then strike the boss, and it drops to +30%. Kill two more little guys and you're back to 60% for the next strike. While this is not optimal, the total damage difference with the above is very small and it generally makes a tiny difference.

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It is best combined with either {{g|Taurog}} (for his string of Death Protections), {{g|Tikki Tooki}} (with his string of potions), or {{g|Dracul}} (for healing between strikes using his Bloodswell and Sanguine boons).

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{{a|MARTYR}} means you will always have plenty of altars in the dungeon. This means you're more likely to encounter useful altars, and will have more opportunities for favorable conversion combos. This also means that it's somewhat more likely that you'll encounter the unpreppable god {{g|The Pactmaker}}. If combined with the extra altar preparation then a Crusader will have a total of 5 altars, meaning more than half the pantheon will be present. Perhaps most importantly, it vastly increases the odds of finding an altar you can safely desecrate for bonus piety.

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Bringing a {{i|Burn Salve}} on any run means you can always desecrate {{g|The Earthmother}} altar with no effective downside. The {{g|Mystera Annur}} altar can be easily desecrated if you have a way of removing resistances from your enemies afterwards; both {{g|Binlor Ironshield}} and {{g|Jehora Jeheyu}} offer you a method of reversing her penalty. The Binlor altar can be desecrated for no punishment as long as you don't have any damage resistance, and since the Crusader doesn't have any by default, this usually means it's a free desecration. {{g|Dracul}}'s altar can be desecrated if you don't mind a minor health drop, but this can be problematic on high-difficulty dungeons where powerful monsters often come very close to 1-hit kills. The only altar which you should avoid desecrating at all costs is the altar of the {{g|Glowing Guardian}}.

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A particularly effective combination is using {{g|Taurog}} and {{g|Dracul}} in combination for high resistances. Ordinarily any specific 2-diety combo requires some luck to find, but for the Crusader the odds are pretty good.

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== Race ==

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Which race is best for the crusader depends on which gods you intend to use. The trick to beaing a great crusader is choosing a race who's bonus helps you level up.

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=== Orc ===

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The {{OrCr}} makes a great race for Crusaders. Due to his massive attack bonus, an Orc Crusader's heightened base attack will be multiplied to enormous proportions. An added benefit of playing an Orc is that early glyph conversions will help you level by killing higher level enemies saving a lot of "popcorn" for later to keep your damage boost from {{a|MOMENTUM}} stable.

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=== Halfling ===

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==Class Features==

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The Halfling makes a great race for Crusaders because of their many beneficial interactions with gods, the fact that you can use their healing potions in combination with {{a|MOMENTUM}} in order to spike a boss and the fact that you can use your health potions to kill higher level monsters while you level. Potions can also be used to power up the {{i|Trisword}} and/or the {{i|Alchemist Scroll}}, and advanced users can make good use of converting potions for piety with the gods {{g|Glowing Guardian}}, {{g|Dracul}} or {{g|Jehora Jeheyu}}, and {{g|Tikki Tooki}} can turn health potions into freebie hits on the boss.

Note: the only valid status ailments for "Scarred" are mana burn, poison, weakening, and corrosion. You still suffer the negative consequence of the first "scar", meaning you will still suffer the first hit of weakening and corrosion, and will still lose all your mana when mana burned for the first time (though you will immediately become immune to it and can regenerate mana by exploring normally).

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The Goblin (if you can use them) is also makes a rather good crusader, since he can use his conversion bonus to level up while killing fewer enemies, leaving more enemies on board to keep the end-game {{a|MOMENTUM}} stable.

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==Race==

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== Strategy ==

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===Orc===

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The Crusader can build up to massive amounts of attack bonus by chaining kills. This allows Crusaders to deal massive amounts of damage that other classes simply couldn't achieve with a single blow. On the other hand, this bonus is halved if he doesn't land a killing blow (including with {{s|BURNDAYRAZ}}, so watch out!), so he must repeatedly kill low-level monsters to rebuild his {{a|MOMENTUM}} and deal his maximum damage. This makes it exceedingly important to leave lots of low-level monsters alive for the boss battle, and makes him work very well with deities like {{g|Tikki Tooki}}. Managing popcorn monsters is the most important part of playing Crusader, as you'll need them to kill higher level monsters or bosses faster.

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The Orc makes by far the best race for Crusaders. Due to his massive attack bonus, an Orc Crusader's heightened base attack will be multiplied to enormous proportions. It is virtually impossible for a Human Crusader to exceed the attack power of an Orc Crusader, and other races simply don't make sense by comparison.

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==Strategy==

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Interestingly, {{s|PISORF}} doesn't cause you to lose your momentum, so if you need extra damage, {{s|PISORF}} is preferrable to {{s|BURNDAYRAZ}}.

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The Crusader can build up to massive amounts of attack bonus, reaching up to +100% after killing four enemies. This allows Crusaders to deal massive amounts of damage that other classes simply couldn't achieve with a single blow. On the other hand, the Crusader loses this bonus if he doesn't land a killing blow, so he must repeatedly kill low-level monsters to rebuild his momentum and deal his maximum damage. This makes it exceedingly important to leave lots of low-level monsters alive for the boss battle, and makes him work very well with deities like Tikki Tooki. Note that killing monsters that don't grant XP will still cause your momentum to disappear. This makes it very difficult to play the Crusader on the Hexx Ruins level.

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Normally you will want to be immune to either weakening or mana burn, depending on your dungeon. It is a good idea to seek out the type of affliction you want to be immune to as early as possible. This is especially important when using Patches. Being immune to mana burn makes it much easier to use Patches, but he might randomly poison you when you level up, so you must gain mana burn immunity as soon as possible. For some reason, Jehora Jeheyu's punishments do not trigger the "scarred" effect, so you will need to find immunity from another source if you wish to use the Crusader to ignore Jehora Jeheyu's penalties.

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One particularly devious strategy with the Crusader is the so-called "one-hit-wonder". This Crusader prepares a {{i|Strength Potion}} or purchases one in dungeon, and otherwise works to maximize his attack bonus (usually by playing orc and converting just about everything). He then builds up {{a|MOMENTUM}} and activates the {{i|Strength Potion}}. This will grant him a single attack that deals massive damage. This is often enough to wipe out a weaker boss.

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One particularly devious strategy with the Crusader is the so-called "one-hit-wonder". This Crusader both prepares a strength potion and purchases one in dungeon, and otherwise works to maximize his attack bonus (usually by playing orc and converting just about everything). He then builds up to 100% momentum and activates each of the strength potions, regenerating his mana between each activation. This will grant him a single attack that deals several hundred damage. Against weaker bosses, this is often enough to kill them outright with a single blow. These strength potions last for only a single attack, however, so make sure it counts!

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== Trivia ==

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The Crusader is inspired by Batman, specifically the combat system in Batman: Arkham Asylum, and how it allows you to bounce from foe to foe.

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Prior to a change to the apothecary that reduced the number of strength potions a character can have simultaneously, the Crusader was one of the only classes in the game that could kill a boss with melee attacks as a level 1 character.

Once you have unlocked all Gods, you may encounter the Crusader in a subdungeon. You must reach 100 with any deity in order to gain his trust, at which point you will unlock the class.

Travelworn and world-weary. Crusaders take up arms for just about any cause going. Their mercurial devotion grants them bursts of fervor in battle. They tend to answer complicated theological questions with steel - usually when asked exactly what it is they believe in.

Contents

Class Features

While not apparent at first glance, the class features of the crusader allow him to be played in more ways than probably any other class. Learning to properly use all the gods, as well as getting comfortable with desecrating their altars at the right time allows you to unlock the full potential of the Crusader.

SCARS means you are resistant to most effects which hinder regen fighters, which makes you excellent at stacking damage resistances, even though you don't start with any. It also makes you effectively immune to most of the maluses that Patches the Teddy can inflict upon the player, meaning you should probably be prepping it on any Crusader run (as it can also get you some resistances, but also all sorts of other benefits).

While resistance stacking is certainly strong, even a spellcaster crusader can benefit from the potential mana increases Patches offers. At very minimum, the ability to use Patches freely is very effective.

MOMENTUM ability can be leveraged in two ways - by getting your attack very high (in combination with the highest base damage possible), to take down the boss in as few hits as possible. This is actually rather difficult to leverage, and while workable is probably the worst way to play crusader. It is occasionally the way to go - when you're facing a high damage but low health boss like Bleaty, Aequitas, and such, or when you can only get a very, very few strikes in on a boss.

The best way to leverage it is to conserve popcorn (low level mosters) as much as possible during leveling. To make the most out of them, when you're ready to fight the last boss, kill the popcorns just before a level-up. Because each popcorn can offer a bonus damage at maximum (15% + 7.5% + 3.75% + ...), this makes you use the damage bonus earlier which is generally better. Then level-up when you cannot tank a hit and repeat the process. This is the most optimal way to play the momentum-spike crusader, and it makes him one of the highest damage classess in the game. If you can level-up in the process, it's better to kill higher level popcorns first, because momentum will bring a bigger damage when you are at a higher level. Make sure you leave some popcorns when you should tackle another boss.

However, this can be dangerous if you lose a momemtum by accident, such as using BURNDAYRAZ or hitting a non-XP monster. If you are using a Quicksilver Potion, it can be hard to get a confirmed dodge if you have already consumed all First Strike monsters. Instead of killing popcorns all the way along, you can alternatively start fighting the boss with killing 4 little guys for +60% damage, which is a lot and practically unparallel. You then strike the boss, and it drops to +30%. Kill two more little guys and you're back to 60% for the next strike. While this is not optimal, the total damage difference with the above is very small and it generally makes a tiny difference.

It is best combined with either Taurog (for his string of Death Protections), Tikki Tooki (with his string of potions), or Dracul (for healing between strikes using his Bloodswell and Sanguine boons).

MARTYR means you will always have plenty of altars in the dungeon. This means you're more likely to encounter useful altars, and will have more opportunities for favorable conversion combos. This also means that it's somewhat more likely that you'll encounter the unpreppable god The Pactmaker. If combined with the extra altar preparation then a Crusader will have a total of 5 altars, meaning more than half the pantheon will be present. Perhaps most importantly, it vastly increases the odds of finding an altar you can safely desecrate for bonus piety.

Bringing a Burn Salve on any run means you can always desecrate The Earthmother altar with no effective downside. The Mystera Annur altar can be easily desecrated if you have a way of removing resistances from your enemies afterwards; both Binlor Ironshield and Jehora Jeheyu offer you a method of reversing her penalty. The Binlor altar can be desecrated for no punishment as long as you don't have any damage resistance, and since the Crusader doesn't have any by default, this usually means it's a free desecration. Dracul's altar can be desecrated if you don't mind a minor health drop, but this can be problematic on high-difficulty dungeons where powerful monsters often come very close to 1-hit kills. The only altar which you should avoid desecrating at all costs is the altar of the Glowing Guardian.

A particularly effective combination is using Taurog and Dracul in combination for high resistances. Ordinarily any specific 2-diety combo requires some luck to find, but for the Crusader the odds are pretty good.

Race

Which race is best for the crusader depends on which gods you intend to use. The trick to beaing a great crusader is choosing a race who's bonus helps you level up.

Orc

The Orc Crusader makes a great race for Crusaders. Due to his massive attack bonus, an Orc Crusader's heightened base attack will be multiplied to enormous proportions. An added benefit of playing an Orc is that early glyph conversions will help you level by killing higher level enemies saving a lot of "popcorn" for later to keep your damage boost from MOMENTUM stable.

Halfling

The Halfling makes a great race for Crusaders because of their many beneficial interactions with gods, the fact that you can use their healing potions in combination with MOMENTUM in order to spike a boss and the fact that you can use your health potions to kill higher level monsters while you level. Potions can also be used to power up the Trisword and/or the Alchemist Scroll, and advanced users can make good use of converting potions for piety with the gods Glowing Guardian, Dracul or Jehora Jeheyu, and Tikki Tooki can turn health potions into freebie hits on the boss.

Goblin

The Goblin (if you can use them) is also makes a rather good crusader, since he can use his conversion bonus to level up while killing fewer enemies, leaving more enemies on board to keep the end-game MOMENTUM stable.

Strategy

The Crusader can build up to massive amounts of attack bonus by chaining kills. This allows Crusaders to deal massive amounts of damage that other classes simply couldn't achieve with a single blow. On the other hand, this bonus is halved if he doesn't land a killing blow (including with BURNDAYRAZ, so watch out!), so he must repeatedly kill low-level monsters to rebuild his MOMENTUM and deal his maximum damage. This makes it exceedingly important to leave lots of low-level monsters alive for the boss battle, and makes him work very well with deities like Tikki Tooki. Managing popcorn monsters is the most important part of playing Crusader, as you'll need them to kill higher level monsters or bosses faster.

Interestingly, PISORF doesn't cause you to lose your momentum, so if you need extra damage, PISORF is preferrable to BURNDAYRAZ.

One particularly devious strategy with the Crusader is the so-called "one-hit-wonder". This Crusader prepares a Strength Potion or purchases one in dungeon, and otherwise works to maximize his attack bonus (usually by playing orc and converting just about everything). He then builds up MOMENTUM and activates the Strength Potion. This will grant him a single attack that deals massive damage. This is often enough to wipe out a weaker boss.

Trivia

The Crusader is inspired by Batman, specifically the combat system in Batman: Arkham Asylum, and how it allows you to bounce from foe to foe.